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A. D. CLARKE.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS. N9 247,484 Patented Sept. 273%881.

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A. D. CLARKE.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS. N e. 247,484. Patented Sept. 27, 1881.

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4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER D. CLARKE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

A-MALGAMATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 247,484, dated September 27, 1881.

' Application filed April 8, 1881. (No model.) i

rangement of devices hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The details of myinvention will be fully understood from the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, and

- whereof I view of the same, both these views beingconsiderably enlarged.

A represents a series of inclined graduated screens, placed one above the other, with the coarsest at the top and finest at the. bottom,

all mounted upon pivoted'standards A, so they may be rocked or oscillated for the purpose of agitating the earth, which is thrown in the first instance upon the top one.

Each screen is open at the lower edgefor the discharge of such portions ofthe material as cannot fall through their apertures. Under the lower screen is a level imperforate surface, A iuclosed at all sides, except over the funnel or hopper B. To this surface A only the finer portions find their way, and as they issue therefrom they fall into said funnel, and there they meet a blast from the chamber 0, in which compressed air is stored, as said blast passes from the chamber 0 through the conduit B. By this conduit the sand or earth is conducted to another funnel. D, suspended with its apex opening within a close chamber, D. Another and principal blast is conducted from the chamber 0 to the interior of this chamber D by one or more pipes C. By the united blasts the earth is driven from the chamber D througha funnel, D located in the bottom thereof, so that it impinges with considerable force upon the mercury-holdingagentalreadymentioned. Several kinds of agents may be employed for this purpose, and they may vary considerably in character; but they may all be described in general terms as porous substances, and as holding the mercury in their pores. One material that I employ for this purpose is wood, which is so charged with the mercury that the latter permeates and occupies its pores in every portion. When a block of wood, E, thus charged with ,mercury is placed upon the shelf E directly under the blast as it issues from the chamber D, the result will be this: The wood itself will be Worn gradually away under the attrition of the particles of sand, and this wearing away is continually bringing to exposure andfreedom fresh portions of mercury, which take up the valuable metal. in the blast, and as sufficient quantities are thus uncovered theycoalesce and form drops and run off or are blown off by the force of the blast into a trough or other suitable device for collecting the same.

Instead of wood, other porous substances which will wear away under the action of the sand in the blast so as continually to expose fresh mercury substantially in the same way as does the wood may be substituted for it. Among these materials may be mentioned paper, stone, earthenware, and glass.

I sometimes jet the blast against a porous diaphragm or fabric-such as buekskin-which is beingconstantly charged with mercury from abody thereof upon the reverse side of the fabric. The manner in which this is done appears in Figs. 3, 5, and 6, wherein F represents a tube closed atone end,and containing a body of mercury, which is being continually replenished from an upright pipe, F, at the open end of the tube and opening into it. At one side the tube F is cutaway, so as to expose a diaphragm, F, of buckskin, which covers the opening, and through the pores of which the mercury from within the tube constantly oozes or percolates. The tube being placed upon the shelf so that the blast strikes the opened side, I obtain a result similar to that attending the use of the charged wood, with the exception that the supply of mercury will probably be somewhat more liberal, as a thin skin or fabric will permit the passage of a considerable amount.

If a single thickness of buckskin does not sufficientl y restrain the percolation, additional thicknesses maybe used, and in Fig. 5 I have illustrated the tube as provided with two thicknesses and an intermediate layer of felt or sponge, F It may be easier to make the skin to conform to the entire interior of the tube ratherthan to make it cover the opening simply. The exterior bands,f, prevent the bulging of the diaphragm under the pressure of the mercury from within.

The shelfis adjustable upon the standard E adjoining the pipe C, as to height, by means of the thumb-screw 0 It may also be adjustable to and from the standard,if that is thought desirable.

Such portions of the blast as have no affinity for the mercury or do not come in contact therewith, and also the combined particles of gold and mercury, pass beyond into a casing, G G, where they come in contact with a series of amalgamating-plates, H, and if they pass them also, they are secured below in the trough H. Another and larger shelf, H extends from this casing under the shelf E, so as to catch such of the mercury and gold as may drop from the shelf E, and also such particles as may shoot past the edge of the mercurial holder. Exit is given from the casing G G at the lower outer end or at any other proper point for the air.

The tube F may, of course, be of any convenient conformation or size, as its function is that of a reservoir. The diaphragm should be of such a nature as not to wear rapidly away under the attrition of the blast, and I recommend that when the mercuryis fed from a reservoir through a diaphragm the blast be not too strong, because of the freedom with which the mercury is supplied by that method.

The apparatus 1 have shown may be used also in wet mining, and also in treating the fine product of stamp -mills; but I recommend, where the material to be operated upon is wet, that the mercurially-charged wood or its equivalent be used instead of the buckskin and the body of mercury back of it.

Greateconomyin the amount of mercury and a thorough commingling of the mercury and the mineral are important beneficial features of my invention.

In the use of the apparatus it is only necessary that the earth in a comminuted state be delivered to the embrace of the blast, and by it be thrown directly upon the mercury-holdin g material or agent, substantially as set forth, and hence the construction of the apparatus becomes comparatively immaterial. The construction showmhowever, is excellently adapted to serve the purposes of the invention.

The blast through the pipe B is primarily intended to elevate the mineral toaconvenient height to sn'bserve and render easy the balance of the operation, and hence need not be very strong, and it may be regulated in any convenient way.

If found desirable, hoods may be applied at the open places above and below the chamber D, to prevent loss of material or in the power of the blast.

Inasmuch as the essence of the invention lies in the violent projecting of the auriferous earth against a porous substance charged with mercury, as above described, I do not wish to be limited in my claim to an air-blast, as it is obvious that a steam, or water, or steam and air, or water and air blast will perform the same function as the air alone, and in some cases they may be preferable, because they moisten the material.

My apparatus may he used in the amalgamation of any of the precious metals.

1 have described two methods of supplying the mercury-viz., one by the use of a porous body holding the mercury in its pores, and from which it is released by the wearing action ofthe blast, and another by feeding the mercury to the blast from a reservoir through the pores ofa diaphragm. Any claim which I am entitled to make to the'former of these I reserve for a subsequent application.

I claim- 1. The combination of apparatus for conducting the blast for jetting the mineral, and a diaphragm of porous material which receives the jet, and is provided with a reservoir for keeping it charged with mercury, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the following elements: the screening apparatus, the blast-conducting devices, the conduit for conducting the mineral material, the mercurially-charged porous substance, and a support for the same, and the collecting plates and trough, substantially as specified.

ALEXANDE It D. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

EVERETT BROWN, H. M. MUNDAY. 

